How the AMBUCS Gave my Autistic Child Confidence to Ride a Bike

My favorite summer memories are biking with my parents along the lakeshore of Wisconsin, the waves of Lake Michigan crashing on one side of the gravel trail and the shade of the cedar forest keeping me cool on the other side.  I long to make these same memories with my own kids.  

Riding a bike is one area where autism has made our family think outside the box.  Our family has been on a long journey to get everyone a set of wheels they feel confident riding.  People often take for granted all the skills involved in riding a bike.   Our local AMBUCS chapter played a big role in getting our last child into some wheels they could enjoy.  

The Challenges We Had Teaching Our Kids To Ride A Bike

I never imagined the multi year ordeal it has been to go for a family bike ride.  Just when we found a solution for one child, another one would outgrow their bike and we would be stuck again.  

My autistic child started out great riding a bike with training wheels like his sister.  But as he grew taller and became top heavy, the training wheels didn’t do their job and he still fell over, leading to anxiety and frustration.  We were at a loss as to how to help him learn and we started trying other options like a bike trailer and tagalong bike.  

Why Is It Hard For Autistic Kids To Learn To Ride A Bike? 

From a developmental perspective, bike riding takes a variety of developmental skills, which for most people is not a big deal.  A person must have a good sense of balance, coordination, and good muscle tone to ride a bike.  All of these skills work together to balance on the two wheels while pedaling and steer as you move along.  

It is not uncommon for autistic people to also have weaker skills in at least one of these areas.  My child has amazing balance but does not have strong coordination or good muscle tone to do well.  Add some anxiety about falling and perfectionism that wants to get it right the first time and you can see how this is a challenging skill to teach. 

How We Got An Adaptive Bike from AMBUCS. 

On July 4th 2019 while I was venting to another special needs parent about our latest failed attempt at a family bike ride, they told us about free adaptive bikes that were available from our local AMBUCS chapter.  AMBUCS fits and builds tricycles for people with special needs to give them more mobility and independence. They call them Amtrykes.  Each trike is custom built to meet the needs and ability of the rider. Sign me up!

That fall we got fitted for our Amtryke.  Our child was so excited to get to ride something that wouldn’t tip over he made the assistant chase after him as rode the test bike around the park.  

“I have many difficulties when riding the bike I have.  It has only 2 wheels which causes me to lose my balance.  I want a red trike with a bell, breaks and a front basket.” 

Our Amtryke Application

When he received his trike just before Christmas, it had a rear basket with a personalized plate and the build team added a bell just for him!  

Now that he had his own set of wheels he felt confident in riding and we could once again ride as a family around town.  We enjoyed riding to the city pool and our favorite ice cream shop.  The only downside is it is very big and heavy so we always ride from home since it would fill the car to take it to a bike trail.  

The Right Motivation To Try A Two-Wheel Bike Again

For four years we have ridden bikes as a family thanks to the AMBUCS.  This year our child joined a local homeschool meet-up group that meets a bikeable distance away.  With several neighborhood kids going, they meet together and bike each week, including him with his Amtryke.  The only problem was the other teens had bikes with multiple speeds and that leaves him struggling to keep up.  It was the motivation we needed to try again to ride two wheels.  

This time we tried a different approach where he was always in control. First we focused on balance and control on the bike, walking/coasting down our angled driveway.  When he got confident with those skills we added pedals in an open parking lot.   No one had any expectations about him mastering it right away, especially him.  We were focused on trying something new.  

Three weeks into practice, he did it!  He surprised even himself when he was successful.  We made some adjustments to the seat and brakes to fit him better and he has not looked back.  Best of all he can keep up with the group each week!

Every Kid is Different & Never Say Never

Part of our family culture is focusing on everyone’s strengths.  When our kids see their own success, they grow in confidence to work on more challenging tasks.  Pushing my child to learn to ride at a younger, more typical age was only leading to frustration.  But after building confidence and motor skills with a trike from AMBUCS and the motivation to be part of the group it happened. 

If there is one thing we have learned as a neurodivergent family is that not now doesn’t mean never.  Our kids are amazing and when they put their minds to it they can do great things.  Learning to ride a bike at 13 was different from learning to ride at 8 but he did it and this summer I will finally get to share the lakeshore bike ride with my whole family.

Thank you AMBUCS for the Amtryke to build confidence and independence!